Paris when it sizzles

As Bogart said to Bergman
in "Casablanca," "We'll always
have Paris."
As Steven Spurrier said to me 40 years ago, "I
don't have a thermofax machine, but there's a chap nearby who does--I'll send
you some interesting stuff." Steven set off a big bang with what became
known ever after as The Paris Tasting, and I was happy to amplify it, and the
wine world has also always had Paris ever since. When Warren Winiarski
came over for a visit a while back, we had a bit of a reunion. Typical--Steven and I with glasses in hand, Warren
with large pebbles--he rocks! (Although, to be fair, we were in a vineyard at
the time, so he could say it was research.) Less talked
about is the fact that, every time the tasting has been re-staged by Steven and various cohorts, usually on decade-marker
anniversaries for the reds involved, California Cabernets always came out on
top. (When we did it at the 30-year mark here in London
at Berry Bros & Rudd, California
took all five first places, led by Ridge "Montebello".) As Steven
said, “the California
wines were made to express, rather than to impress.” Now, the
tables may have turned again: At a recent tasting of the 2000 vintage, Bordeaux beat the
daylights out of the Californians. Someone was paying attention, obviously.